Maroons sweat on Inglis, Slater injuries

By
Phil Lutton

Queensland selectors will resist the urge to shake up their Origin side and give injured stars like Greg Inglis and Billy Slater every opportunity to prove their fitness before game two in Sydney next week.

In a sign of the gravity of the game, the Maroons will give Inglis, who injured his ankle on Saturday night against the Warriors, as much latitude as possible to show he can take the field at ANZ Stadium as NSW try to win their first series for nine years.

It was a nightmare evening for Mal Meninga and the Queensland selectors as Inglis limped off with a high ankle strain. A post-game video he posted suggested he would be fit to play but only scans would determine the extent of the damage.

Scan results early on Monday were promising for Inglis, with no sign of serious damage but stretched ligaments and fluid in the joint. His foot remained in a boot but will fly north to join Camp Maroon.

The injury is similar to the one Cameron Smith suffered in the opener, with Smith being able to back up for his club side Melbourne over the weekend. The Maroons would love the same fortune for their Origin superman.

Slater (shoulder) will be included in the side, meaning the only player from game one not taking part will be Cooper Cronk, who missed most of game one with a broken arm and will sit out the duration of the series.

Inglis was well held by the Blues at Suncorp Stadium, but has been a constant in Queensland's run of success for the past eight seasons. It's rare to see him under the radar twice in a row, so his absence would be a massive mental boost for the aspiring Blues.

Will Chambers looms as the man to replace Inglis if he falls short, and he will join the camp as he did in game one, while Daly Cherry-Evans will get the benefit of a full camp training at halfback as he takes over from the injured Cronk.

In the pack, there stands to be a reshuffle as Sam Thaiday is parachuted straight back into the starting side, relegating either Matt Gillett or Chris McQueen to the bench.

Josh Papalii will retain his place in the side despite a lacklustre impact in game one. Selectors were keeping close tabs on Titans big man Dave Taylor, but he didn't do enough against the Panthers to close the argument.

Making it more difficult is the scheduling of the Monday night game between the Raiders and Broncos, which will feature a number of likely Origin combatants.

The Queensland side for the second State of Origin will be announced at 4pm on Monday afternoon.

Queensland will name an extended 20 or 21-man squad likely to feature utility Jake Friend and potentially Dane Gagai from Newcastle, who could find himself on the wing if Inglis or Slater force a backline reshuffle.